DALLAS – NM State's Lisa Zhu and Anna Pinaieva have been named to the CSC Academic All-District Team, as announced by the league office. The pair are two of just six women's tennis student-athletes in Conference USA to receive the honor this season, and they are the first Aggies to earn the distinction since 2021. 

To qualify for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore, hold a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, and participate in at least 70% of their team's matches. The award recognizes outstanding student-athletes for their combined excellence in athletics and academics. 

Zhu, a senior, was a steady force for the Aggies at the No. 2 spot in singles and doubles. She posted a 9-6 record in singles and paired with Montana Parkinson-Lubold to go 11-3 in doubles – the best winning percentage of any NM State duo this season (78.5%). The tandem also compiled a five-match win streak late in the year and reached the second round of the CUSA Tournament. 

Junior Anna Pinaieva led the Aggies from the No. 1 position in both singles and doubles, finishing with a 9-4 singles record and a 13-7 mark in doubles. Her season included a four-match singles win streak in early February, earning her CUSA Athlete of the Week honors. She later remained unbeaten over five straight matches, including three unfinished contests where she had already taken at least one set. 

CUSA Women's Tennis CSC Academic All-District Honorees 

Maria Turchetto, Liberty 

Daniella O'Neill, Liberty 

Zoie Epps, LA Tech* 

Anna Pinaieva, NM State 

Lisa Zhu, NM State 

Hanna Telzynska, UTEP 

For complete coverage of NM State women's tennis throughout the 2024-25 year, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Women's Tennis), Twitter (@NMStateWTEN) and Instagram (@NMStateWTEN).  

##NM State##